The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-06-14
The LABOR CONVENTIONS
IMPORTANT ACTIONS BY THE
TRADES ORGANIZATIONS
During the Past Week Explained by
John Swint0n-The Lockout In
Chicago and Boston.
lsPEoIAL TO TIE APPEAL.l

world daring the past week has bseI
watching the action ct the nationa
conventions held by several of tn,
leading irades-the printers at Bal
talo, the shoemakeIs at Bfcckton, tn,
miners at Cincinnati aud the iror
Workera and the machinery construct
ors at PitisburS. 1t is not going be
yond the record to say that full half
million workers ae employed In
these great industries; in fact, thu
ehoemskers and miners alone count
two.thiIds Of the vast number. AL
the conventions are fairly representa-
tive OF the trades in question. Nearly
all the stesl and ion workers in the
country are organized in the lodges
that elected the delegates to theil
convention. The great msj rity Of
the workers in leather are organ I'D ia
the assemblies that convened for the
adoption of national policy. Toe
miners have several organzatio as,
and though the Knights, who have
held sessioD, are only one of them,
the tendency is toward combination
and harmony among them all. The
printers unions sre in control of the
trade in all the chief cities of the
country, and those outside of the or.
gau!zation are msinly in rural offices,
where unions are not found. The
machinery constructors are a new
body just forming, and their conven.
ton was not OF the magnitude OF the
others.
Had the delegates TO these conven-
tons Ct the past week met in ioint
session, they would have made BODY
nearly twice az large as the Congr SIS
OF the United States. they came from
the farthermost borders of the coun-
try as we'll as from the populous CEN
ters. They came from the States of
the Gull and the Pacific, as well as
from those of the Atlantic seaboard
and the Northern lakes. The most
widely repref eutative of all the con-
vsntions in this respect was that of
the printers at Buffalo, which had del
egates from nearly every State OF the
American Union. The shoemakers
took in ten or twelve States; the min
ers Lesser area, The machinists were
from few large cities, and the iron
workers chiefly from Pennsylvania,
West Virginia and Ohio. l presume
that the expense attending the holiday
Of the conventions did not fall short of
100000.
Those who suppose that the cleo.
tons OF delegates to such bodies ia a
matter OF uncoucern or hapbszard in
the trades do not comprehend the
operation of organized labor in these
times. The most active canvassipg ia
carried on before the elections; the |
rivalries are often as keen and the con.
tests as close as in politics; candidates
are subjected 10 the most rigorous
their records areecrutinized,
their views on the questions at stake
are debated; there is often pipe laying
and wire pulling, and, in some csseF,
beer has been known to babble into
ballots. Ambitious men and men
With hobbies are no less anxious for
election than solid men whose object
8 to promote the good of their craft
~ securing advantageous measures.
IN this city, for example the time OF
he election of delegates by the
printers Of Typographical Union No.
ID marked by an excitement In
hundreds Of offices, such as outsiders
lave no idea OF. The result is that all
rational trade conventions, such as
boas that have just adjourned, ara
made up of able and Level
headed men. l visited the printers
union when it was held
n this city two years ego, and am free
o say that it displayed as much sound
ense and judgment, besides So much
OF practical business and
arliamentary law as any Legislative
r other body whose procedure ]
yer witnessed.
These trade conventions, which are
ED yearly by at least 100 different
tades, are developing men Of Urge
bility, and are training the working
leases in the methods to self govern
lent and in the handling ofGweighty !
ue;tions as they were never trained l
any other age OF the world. They
re taking the lead il, that orgsniza.
on OF industry which is now proceed I
g with rapid strides, and the result 8
which canGot be foretold. They 9
10 new phenomenon 10 the indus. I
iai history Of the United States. 7
hey are the creation of the past ten Q
asrs, for though the origin of some of
lem dates farther back, they were
len small concerns compared with ,
hat they are now. =
advise men of affairs and eocial g
as we'll as the men di- :,
city concerned, to study them !
osely. The brief newspaper dis. y
'tches about them give but slight !,
ea OF their course of business or II
Ielr influence. And now that the "
orking classes are carrying their own II
lestions into politics they have an
Ided importar ce that is sure to in
ease, and from which many novel; y
% are sure to slise. The reports at q,
the conventions Of the past week "
dicste q rapid growth of the work N
organizations, ard large increase F
the membership Of the unions. q,
Ills YVES especially the case among y
Q printers and the shoemak ers. The il
rmer are extending their lines into T
gions heretofore unyisited, through r
encies that act with increasing mo.
entum, and the latter have lust
avn their separate branches into
Q huge national body, which will B.
'ult In the combined action OF the cl
lole craft upon all its interests tie
)reoVer, delegate to one OF the in
nventions said to me that he had to
ind that the national organization 81
which he was representative had di
en- growing not only in numbers,
also, said he, growing logically, n
wing in brains, growing in intelii. "a "a
ice and in knowledge Of the labor vi
estion, as now taking shape" This s nv
timony agrees with that from all III ~
other trade organizations. OF or
Many of the questions taken up at 81 ~;
convention of the printers related " "
trade features not fully understood Va -.
the general public, but they also "a
K up the nine hour rule, of rela. a.
Us to their body with the knights ne ne
Labor, and of management of the In
ldiDg fund of $4,000, which has
IN secured within the past two
IRE. The iron workers took up their ,